Water-related conflicts: definitions, data, and trends from the water conflict chronology

Abstract

Abstract Violence associated with freshwater resources has occurred throughout recorded history, with water triggering violence and armed conflict, water or water systems being used as weapons, and water or water systems becoming casualties during conflicts. Understanding the causes of water-related violence and regional and temporal trends is critical for identifying priority areas for conflict resolution and strategies to reduce the risk of future conflicts. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the structure, content, and design of The Water Conflict Chronology, an open-source online database, which tracks water-related conflicts from around the globe. Some analysis is provided with caveats about the limitations of the data, but further analysis will be forthcoming. The database is updated approximately annually using information from other conflict-related databases, news reports, eyewitness accounts, and a review of historical documents. As of October 2022, the Chronology had 1298 entries, from the earliest events around 2400 BCE through early 2022. Initial analysis of data shows trends in the nature, location, and social and political characteristics of water-related violence, including a sharp increase in water-related violence in recent years, especially where water has been a trigger or casualty of violence, a concentration of events in the Middle East, southern Asia, and the Sahel, and the increased targeting of civilian water systems during civil and regional armed conflicts.